Dallas

Red River Showdown 2021: What You Need to Know

All game tickets include admission to the State Fair of Texas

NBCUniversal, Inc.

Since 1929, the State Fair of Texas has played host to the Red River Showdown – the annual football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners and the University of Texas Longhorns.

With COVID-19 protocols in place at the State Fair of Texas, there are several things to keep in mind for the 2021 version of the big game.

Before the Game

Due to an 11 a.m. kick-off time, the State Fair will open early to allow fans to arrive and enjoy the Fair before game time, so plan your travel to the fairgrounds accordingly. Official State Fair parking lots are located at gates 2, 6, 11, and 15. All gates will open at 7 a.m. State Fair Will Call will open at 6:30 a.m.

Your game ticket includes admission to the most iconic pre-game party of the year, the State Fair of Texas.

Coupon booths and online coupon pick-up centers will open at 7 a.m.

Purchase coupons ahead of time at BigTex.com and skip the long lines. Pick up your coupons at a hospitality center instead of a coupon booth. Hospitality centers and information booths will open at 7 a.m.

Outdoor concessions, in addition to concessions inside the Tower Building Food Court, will open at 8 a.m. The State Fair of Texas Midway will open at 8 a.m.

ESPN College GameDay will air live from 8 a.m.-10 a.m. in Cotton Bowl Plaza (between Cotton Bowl Stadium and the Leonhardt Lagoon). Fans are urged to arrive early. Fans may bring flags and signs for ESPN College GameDay through State Fair gates up until 8 a.m. They must be discarded after the show.

All exhibit buildings, outdoor exhibits, and indoor concessions (except the Tower Building, which opens earlier) will open at 9 a.m.

Getting Inside the Stadium

Gates to the Cotton Bowl will open at 9 a.m.

Game tickets will be scanned at the entrance to the Fair and at all Cotton Bowl gates as you enter the stadium. Be sure to download your game tickets and save them to your phone before arriving at the fairgrounds.

Don't forget to bring your face mask. The Fair is following a current Dallas County mandate, which requires masks to be worn while indoors. If you forget or something happens to your mask while on the fairgrounds, they are supplied at all entry gates and hospitality centers.

For the safety of all game attendees, a clear bag policy is in effect for all events at Cotton Bowl Stadium within Fair Park. Visit BigTex.com/football for more details.

DART trains and buses will become more crowded as game-time approaches and at locations closer to Fair Park. Don't forget your face mask. There is currently a federal face mask requirement that requires face masks to be worn by all travelers while on public transportation. For DART schedules, visit DART.org/schedules.

The Fair has metal detection at all pedestrian gates to include walkthrough metal detectors.

For a list of items allowed and not allowed at the Fair, visit BigTex.com/faq.

After the Game

After the game, country music artist Jack Ingram will perform on the Chevrolet Main Stage at 6 p.m., enjoy fireworks at the Mattress Firm Illumination Sensation at 8 p.m. along the Esplanade, and see comedian Bill Engvall on the Chevrolet Main Stage at 8:30 p.m. The Fair is open until 10 p.m.

For a map of the fairgrounds, visit BigTex.com/map.

For a full schedule of events, visit BigTex.com/schedule.

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